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St Oliver's Primary School Celebrates 10 Years as a DCU Changemaker School
St Oliver's Primary School Celebrates 10 Years as a DCU Changemaker School
St Oliver's Primary School in Killarney, one of the largest and longest-standing members of the DCU Changemaker Schools network, marked a special milestone on Thursday, October 17th, celebrating 10 years as a Changemaker School. With nearly 800 students, including eight dedicated classes for children with additional needs and a diverse student body representing almost 40 nationalities, St Oliver's has become a vibrant example of inclusive education.
The school is committed to fostering the four key pillars of the Changemaker ethos: empathy, creativity, leadership, and teamwork. Through these values, children are empowered to take on leadership roles, embrace creativity, and collaborate with their peers, all within a nurturing and inclusive school environment. The identity of each child as a Changemaker is central to the school’s culture, where every student is encouraged to contribute and grow.
To celebrate the decade-long achievement, the student council of Corpus Christi Primary School in Moyross, another DCU Changemaker school, was invited to join in the celebration. The day was filled with fun, conversation, singing, and the chance to build friendships. The students also had the opportunity to engage in meaningful discussions on important current issues and to meet Juno, the school dog.
It was a memorable celebration of the school's dedication to positive change and the fostering of future leaders, with everyone looking forward to another 10 years of growth and impact
DCU Changemaker Schools’ Network contributes to DCU IoE student teachers understanding of Gender Justice in Irish Classrooms
DCU Changemaker Schools’ Network contributes to DCU IoE student teachers understanding of Gender Justice in Irish Classrooms
DCU Changemaker Schools’ Network contributes to DCU IoE student teachers understanding of Gender Justice in Irish Classrooms
Sharing insights and practice
As part of the DCU community, the schools regularly share their insights and practices in lectures and workshops with the students of the DCU IoE. One such workshop pertaining to Gender Justice saw two principals from DCU Changemaker Schools, Scoil Chiaráin C.B.S and St. Patricks BNS in Ringsend engage in discussions with the students. The school principals worked with the students as they critically reflected on gender in schools as well as supported them in the development of their research questions, as they embarked on their self-study action research project.
Engaging in gender justice in the primary school
Both Scoil Chiaráin C.B.S and St. Patricks BNS are DEIS Band 1, all-boys, Catholic schools located in Dublin city. Challenged and concerned by heteropatriarchal norms they were witnessing as well as their interest in the multiplicity of masculinities constructed in their schools, both schools developed gender just practices to support the children and the staff. While they worked to advance their school cultures to challenge gender stereotypes, norms and biases they also implemented ground breaking initiatives such as ‘Boys in the Making’ in Scoil Chiaráin C.B.S and ‘Healthy Relationships’ in St. Patricks BNS. Both schools have addressed contentious issues in their schools such as the rise in of toxic masculinity and male influencers, and in particular the challenges which are arising with social media with children as young as nine years old.
DCU students benefit from schools’ knowledge and expertise
The students in the DCU IoE are researching and exploring creating classrooms which are more gender just. This exploration requires one to ‘first know oneself’ as such the workshops began with questions such as ‘what is it like being a girl/boy for me’. The work then evolved within the parameters of the research project and the principals in the DCU Changemaker Schools support the students in their research question development but also explore barriers to gender equality in society, in educational leadership and the intersectionality of gender with sexuality, poverty and ethnicity. The students explored topics such as gender questioning children in our schools, barriers for women in leadership and most importantly explored with the two principals from DCU Changemaker Schools, practical suggestions as to how to make their classrooms more gender just. This transformative workshop sought to engage students critically with gender, by exploring both the theory that underpins gender equality and the lived realities in our classrooms with the view to enabling social justice and in particular gender justice to become embedded in practice.
This book aims to empower adults to advocate for children's rights and voices.
Dr. Siobhan Keenan Fitzgearld will be launching her new book ‘Listen: How Child and Student Voice Can Change the World’ in Athlone Education Support Centre in October 2024.
Siobhan is the principal of Eglish N.S. a DCU Changemaker School
Read all about Siobhan and her book here.sDdwW
Eoghan O'Byrne of St Mary's Limerick
Congratulations to Eoghan O'Byrne principal of St Mary's N.S. in Limerick who spoke at the Children's Rights Alliance Food Poverty Event for #EndChildPovertyWeek this month.
Eoghan with others discussed the physical and mental health effects of poverty on children.
Tubberclare N.S.
Fantastic to see DCU Changemaker School Flags flying like here in Tubberclare N.S.
John White the Director of the DCU Changemaker Schools Network at BERA Conference in September 2024
Dr John White presenting on behalf of the DCU CSN team at an international education conference (BERA) in Manchester University on 9 Sept 24. His paper was entitled:
Teacher Perceptions of Pedagogy and Pupils’ Learning in Irish Primary DCU Changemaker Schools.
IPPN
DCU Changemaker School Principal Lorraine Bullard of Barnacogue N.S. featured in this months IPPN Magazine.
Her article entitled 'Empowering Education in Rural Ireland: DCU Changemaker School Barnagoue N.S.'
Can be read here on page 12
Fantastic session with two DCU Changemaker School Principals
A fantastic session was held with 4th year ARP students on the topic of gender justice with DCU Changemaker School Principals Ciara Harte and Ian Lane.